Volkslied, WAB 94

On 16 October 1881, the Deutsche Zeitung invited submissions for a text für eines sangbares Nationallied (for a singable national hymn). From 1,750 texts entered, Josef Winter's was awarded the first prize. On 1 January 1882 a second invitation appeared for a Hymne für das Deutsche Volk in Österreich (Hymn for the German People in Austria), for men's choir as well as for voice and piano. Bruckner, as one of the 1,320 participants, sent a sample of both settings. No prize was awarded for any of the submissions.^[1][2]

The manuscripts are stored in the archive of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek and the Bibliothèque nationale de Paris.^[1] The two settings were first published in Band III/2, pp. 191 and 192 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.^[2] The setting for voice and piano is issued in Band XXIII/1, No. 6 of the Gesamtausgabe.^[3] The setting for men's choir is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 32 of the Gesamtausgabe.^[3]

The song uses Josef Winter's lyrics:

There are two settings of the Volkslied WAB 94:^[4]

• A 34-bar-long setting for voice and piano, which uses the first strophe of Winter's text.^[2]
• A 67-bar-long setting for men's TTBB choir, which uses the six strophes of Winter's text.^[5]

There is no commercial recording of this setting. A live performance by Raymond Armstrong (1 April 2017)^[6] is available in the Bruckner Archive.^[7]

There is a single recording of this setting:

• Thomas Kerbl, Männerchorvereinigung, Weltliche Männerchöre – CD: LIVA 054, 2012 – 1st strophe only

Note

The Volkslied has been performed at the Brucknerfest 2022 (Brucknerfest 2022 - Krieg und Frieden (29-09-2022)). A recording is available in the Bruckner Archive.^[7]